BioBlitz for a Resilient Forest Future (at Cousins River)
2025-08-19 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | ME
iNaturalist Early-Detection Training with MCHT and Schoodic Institute
Curious about how introduced insects are affecting Maine’s trees? Want to go out in the woods and identify species? Join Schoodic Institute and Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) for an iNaturalist early-detection training and be a forest health detective!
Learn how to identify species of management interest, including harmful insects and at-risk species, and report them using iNaturalist. Researchers use these data to monitor the distribution of these species and maintain healthy forests. After the event, you’ll be able to take these skills with you and continue reporting your observations of these species wherever you encounter them.
When and where?
Rain or shine, join us from 9am – 11am on August 19 at Cousins River Fields & Marsh Preserve in Yarmouth, ME (find on Google Maps).
We will meet at 9am, and scientists from Schoodic Institute and MCHT will first lead a training about how to use iNaturalist and identify our focal species. After the training, volunteers will go out into Cousins River to look for and record observations of these species and participate in a BioBlitz to identify as many species as possible.
What to bring?
Please bring a smartphone or other device compatible with iNaturalist (helpful tip: if you don’t already have the iNaturalist app downloaded to your device, we suggest doing so prior to the event!). If you don’t have a device, reach out to us ahead of the event and we will provide tablets for use. We also recommend bringing sunscreen and water, and wearing comfortable walking shoes.
Questions? Reach out to Kyle Lima at klima@schoodicinstitute.org.

Welcome to the Milky Way
2025-08-21 19:30 - 22:00 | Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Less than half of the world’s people can see the Milky Way—our home galaxy—because of urban light pollution. But here in Acadia it shines brightly on clear, moonless nights. The collective glow of its 200+ billion stars arches from horizon to horizon throughout the summer.
Amateur astronomy Richard Luecke will explain our current understanding of the Milky Way, our place in it, and how you can view and appreciate its splendors. His image-enhanced, indoor presentation will acquaint you with some of our galaxy’s most stunning features.
We will meet in Moore Auditorium on Schoodic Institute’s campus from 7:30pm – 8:30pm on Thursday, August 21st. Weather permitting, attendees will be invited outdoors for a laser-guided tour of Maine’s stunning night sky and viewing of star clusters, nebulae and far distant galaxies through a large astronomical telescope (8:30 – 10:00pm). Bring binoculars if you have them, and dress warmer than you’d think necessary!
Cost: $15.00/person or $50.00/family of up to four
Banner Photo by Harley Grady

Stars Over Schoodic
2025-08-23 19:30 - 22:00 | Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
As darkness falls over the Schoodic Peninsula, the Milky Way arches across the sky from horizon to horizon. Late summer’s most prominent constellations are suspended within its pale glow.
Amateur astronomer Richard Luecke will take you on an indoor, 50-minute image-enhanced journey along that river of starlight and introduce you to summer’s most prominent constellations. You’ll learn to identify Perseus, Cassiopeia and Andromeda, Cygnus the Swan, and Aquila, Zeus’s pet eagle. Your journey will end in the constellation Sagittarius, which marks the heart of the Milky Way Galaxy. It glistens with star clusters and glowing clouds of interstellar gas that even our naked eyes can perceive in the Schoodic’s dark sky.
We will meet in Moore Auditorium on Schoodic Institute’s campus from 7:30pm – 8:30pm on Saturday, August 23rd. Weather permitting, we’ll venture outside for a green laser tour (8:30 – 10:00pm), where you’ll meet these sky wonders face-to-face – and likely see a few flashing meteors! A large astronomical telescope will provide stunning views of the ET Cluster, the Great Andromeda Galaxy, the Dumbbell Nebula and more. Bring binoculars if you have them, and dress warmer than you’d think necessary!

Of Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors... and Close Encounters
2025-08-25 19:30 - 22:00 | Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
There are more things in our solar system than the eight planets and their moons. Millions of small bodies of rock, ice and metal – asteroids, comets and meteors – orbit the Sun. Many are awesome to behold against the dark night sky, but some are potential threats to our planet. Amateur astronomer Richard Luecke will offer an indoor, image-enhanced introduction to these celestial neighbors, how to observe them, and the risks they pose when their trajectories cross the Earth’s orbit around the sun.
Join us in Moore Auditorium on the Schoodic Institute campus from 7:30pm – 8:30pm on Monday, August 25th. Weather permitting, attendees will be invited outdoors for a laser-guided tour of Maine’s stunning night sky and viewing of star clusters, nebulae and far distant galaxies through a large astronomical telescope (approximately 8:30pm – 10:00pm). Bring binoculars if you have them, and dress warmer than you’d think necessary!
Space is limited! Please register below.
Cost: $15.00/person or $50.00/family of up to four
NASA Photo / Comet NEOWISE 2019

Welcome to the Milky Way II
2025-08-26 19:30 - 22:00 | Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Join us for this second offering of Welcome to the Milky Way!
Less than half of the world’s people can see the Milky Way—our home galaxy—because of urban light pollution. But here in Acadia it shines brightly on clear, moonless nights. The collective glow of its 200+ billion stars arches from horizon to horizon throughout the summer.
Amateur astronomy Richard Luecke will explain our current understanding of the Milky Way, our place in it, and how you can view and appreciate its splendors. His image-enhanced, indoor presentation will acquaint you with some of our galaxy’s most stunning features.
We will meet in Moore Auditorium on Schoodic Institute’s campus from 7:30pm – 8:30pm on Tuesday, August 26th. Weather permitting, attendees will be invited outdoors for a laser-guided tour of Maine’s stunning night sky and viewing of star clusters, nebulae and far distant galaxies through a large astronomical telescope (8:30 – 10:00pm). Bring binoculars if you have them, and dress warmer than you’d think necessary.
Cost: $15.00/person or $50.00/family of up to four
Banner Photo by Harley Grady

Bird Carving with Wendell Gilley Museum
2025-08-27 09:30 - 15:30 | ME
See how it’s done! Join us at Schoodic Institute with special guest carver Jim Vekasi from the Wendell Gilley Museum for hands-on bird carving demonstrations outside the Welcome Center at Rockefeller Hall.
Visit with Jim and pick up a carving knife yourself – there is no charge to give it a try! Then visit the display of bird carvings from the Wendell Gilley Museum inside the Welcome Center.
Jim is a longtime carver with the Gilley, as well as being a retired Acadia National Park employee who was deeply involved during the establishment of Schoodic Institute 25 years ago.

Of Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors… and Close Encounters II
2025-08-28 19:30 - 22:00 | Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Join us for this second offering of ‘Of Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors… and Close Encounters’!
There are more things in our solar system than the eight planets and their moons. Millions of small bodies of rock, ice and metal – asteroids, comets and meteors – orbit the Sun. Many are awesome to behold against the dark night sky, but some are potential threats to our planet. Amateur astronomer Richard Luecke will offer an indoor, image-enhanced introduction to these celestial neighbors, how to observe them, and the risks they pose when their trajectories cross the Earth’s orbit around the sun.
Join us in Moore Auditorium on the Schoodic Institute campus from 7:30pm – 8:30pm on Thursday, August 28th. Weather permitting, attendees will be invited outdoors for a laser-guided tour of Maine’s stunning night sky and viewing of star clusters, nebulae and far distant galaxies through a large astronomical telescope (approximately 8:30pm – 10:00pm). Bring binoculars if you have them, and dress warmer than you’d think necessary.
Space is limited! Please register below.
Cost: $15.00/person or $50.00/family of up to four
NASA Photo / Comet NEOWISE 2019

Stars Over Schoodic II
2025-08-29 19:30 - 22:00 | Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Join us for this second offering of ‘Stars Over Schoodic’!
As darkness falls over the Schoodic Peninsula, the Milky Way arches across the sky from horizon to horizon. Late summer’s most prominent constellations are suspended within its pale glow.
Amateur astronomer Richard Luecke will take you on an indoor, 50-minute image-enhanced journey along that river of starlight and introduce you to summer’s most prominent constellations. You’ll learn to identify Perseus, Cassiopeia and Andromeda, Cygnus the Swan, and Aquila, Zeus’s pet eagle. Your journey will end in the constellation Sagittarius, which marks the heart of the Milky Way Galaxy. It glistens with star clusters and glowing clouds of interstellar gas that even our naked eyes can perceive in the Schoodic’s dark sky.
We will meet in Moore Auditorium on Schoodic Institute’s campus from 7:30pm – 8:30pm on Friday, August 29th. Weather permitting, we’ll venture outside for a green laser tour (8:30 – 10:00pm), where you’ll meet these sky wonders face-to-face – and likely see a few flashing meteors! A large astronomical telescope will provide stunning views of the ET Cluster, the Great Andromeda Galaxy, the Dumbbell Nebula and more. Bring binoculars if you have them, and dress warmer than you’d think necessary!

2026 Maine Outdoor Film Festival at Schoodic Institute
2026-08-27 19:00 | ME
Stay tuned – registration will open shortly!
The Maine Outdoor Film Festival returns to Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park on August 21, 2025 for an evening of outdoor adventure and conservation films under the stars!

The Maine Outdoor Film Festival is an outlet for Maine filmmakers’ creativity. By attending a Maine Outdoor Film Festival screening, thousands of Mainers get the chance to see specially curated outdoor adventure and conservation filmmaking in their area.
The film program will last approximately two hours, including a 10-minute intermission. Event begins at 7:00PM, and screening will start at 7:45PM. We recommend bringing a chair and/or blanket, warm layers, a headlamp, bug spray, and your favorite snacks!
Tickets are $15 per person, or you can take advantage of our Friends & Family pack – 4 tickets for $50! You may register up to 6 people – tickets after the 4-pack will be priced at the discounted rate of $12.50 per person.
DID YOU KNOW? Schoodic Institute is the conservation science expert leading the response to rapid change facing parks, people, and the planet. By participating in events at Schoodic Institute, you are contributing to our mission of inspiring science, learning, and community for a changing world and helping to support vital ecosystem research and education for all ages.
